Home Linguistics & Semiotics 15 Caught between languages and cultures: Exploring linguistic and cultural identity among Maldivian adolescents
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15 Caught between languages and cultures: Exploring linguistic and cultural identity among Maldivian adolescents

  • Naashia Mohamed
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Acquisition and Variation in World Englishes
This chapter is in the book Acquisition and Variation in World Englishes

Abstract

This chapter draws on theories of language attitudes and identity to describe identity struggles faced by Maldivian adolescents as they shift from their indigenous language to the more globally powerful English language. Following British colonialism in the Maldives, the English language attained an indelible role in the country’s educational system in particular and its society in general, causing language to be an important aspect of the identity construction of Maldivians. Based on the findings of a mixed methods study, this chapter illustrates how young people in this context have strong views regarding hierarchies of languages and language varieties present in the community. Their language use indicates that their preference for English overshadows their use of the Dhivehi language in many domains, despite the official status of Dhivehi. They consider the English language to be a passport to progress and look to the English of Inner Circle countries as the ideal to be attained to earn social status and prestige, while othering those who do not fit into their self-determined label of an English speaker. The findings suggest that prestige planning measures are necessary to protect and promote the Dhivehi language in the Maldives.

Abstract

This chapter draws on theories of language attitudes and identity to describe identity struggles faced by Maldivian adolescents as they shift from their indigenous language to the more globally powerful English language. Following British colonialism in the Maldives, the English language attained an indelible role in the country’s educational system in particular and its society in general, causing language to be an important aspect of the identity construction of Maldivians. Based on the findings of a mixed methods study, this chapter illustrates how young people in this context have strong views regarding hierarchies of languages and language varieties present in the community. Their language use indicates that their preference for English overshadows their use of the Dhivehi language in many domains, despite the official status of Dhivehi. They consider the English language to be a passport to progress and look to the English of Inner Circle countries as the ideal to be attained to earn social status and prestige, while othering those who do not fit into their self-determined label of an English speaker. The findings suggest that prestige planning measures are necessary to protect and promote the Dhivehi language in the Maldives.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 The current role of children and adolescents in World Englishes research 1
  4. Part I: Language in the family
  5. 2 Language among Trinidadian-heritage children raised in diaspora 13
  6. 3 Language use patterns and strategies for children’s English language development: Insights from Chinese descendant mothers in multilingual Malaysia 37
  7. 4 Family language policies in Thailand: Multiliteracy practices and Global Englishes 59
  8. 5 Parental language ideologies and children’s language use in Singapore – raising speakers of “Standard” English? 83
  9. Part II: Language acquisition and language learning in multilingual contexts
  10. 6 Syntactic and lexical complexity in CLIL and EFL written production: Evidence for ELF as a WEs paradigm in Turkey 111
  11. 7 Investigating child language acquisition from a joint perspective: A comparison of traditional and new L1 speakers of English 133
  12. 8 Speech rhythm in Cameroon English: A cross-generational study 159
  13. 9 From second to first language: Language shift in Singapore and Ireland 177
  14. Part III: Attitudes and identity
  15. 10 Children’s language attitudes in a World Englishes community: A focus on St. Kitts 205
  16. 11 Youth identity as linguistic identity: Political engagement and language acquisition and use in Hong Kong 227
  17. 12 Varieties of English and Third Culture Kids in Hong Kong 255
  18. 13 Variation and change in the NURSE vowel in Trinidadian English: An apparent-time analysis of adolescent and adult speakers 279
  19. 14 How linguistically tolerant or insecure are school-aged children? A matched-guise, gamified approach for 6- to 12-year-olds in Canada 307
  20. 15 Caught between languages and cultures: Exploring linguistic and cultural identity among Maldivian adolescents 335
  21. Part IV: Summary and discussion
  22. 16 Conclusion and envoi: Language acquisition at the intersection of sociolinguistics and World Englishes research 361
  23. Index 379
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110733723-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. 1 The current role of children and adolescents in World Englishes research 1
  4. Part I: Language in the family
  5. 2 Language among Trinidadian-heritage children raised in diaspora 13
  6. 3 Language use patterns and strategies for children’s English language development: Insights from Chinese descendant mothers in multilingual Malaysia 37
  7. 4 Family language policies in Thailand: Multiliteracy practices and Global Englishes 59
  8. 5 Parental language ideologies and children’s language use in Singapore – raising speakers of “Standard” English? 83
  9. Part II: Language acquisition and language learning in multilingual contexts
  10. 6 Syntactic and lexical complexity in CLIL and EFL written production: Evidence for ELF as a WEs paradigm in Turkey 111
  11. 7 Investigating child language acquisition from a joint perspective: A comparison of traditional and new L1 speakers of English 133
  12. 8 Speech rhythm in Cameroon English: A cross-generational study 159
  13. 9 From second to first language: Language shift in Singapore and Ireland 177
  14. Part III: Attitudes and identity
  15. 10 Children’s language attitudes in a World Englishes community: A focus on St. Kitts 205
  16. 11 Youth identity as linguistic identity: Political engagement and language acquisition and use in Hong Kong 227
  17. 12 Varieties of English and Third Culture Kids in Hong Kong 255
  18. 13 Variation and change in the NURSE vowel in Trinidadian English: An apparent-time analysis of adolescent and adult speakers 279
  19. 14 How linguistically tolerant or insecure are school-aged children? A matched-guise, gamified approach for 6- to 12-year-olds in Canada 307
  20. 15 Caught between languages and cultures: Exploring linguistic and cultural identity among Maldivian adolescents 335
  21. Part IV: Summary and discussion
  22. 16 Conclusion and envoi: Language acquisition at the intersection of sociolinguistics and World Englishes research 361
  23. Index 379
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